I woke up with a splitting headache, “where am I?”

“You are in a Tributary of the River of Souls, a branch of the great tree Yggdrasil, a current of pure spiritual energy that some can use to travel to any reality in our multiverse, so long as you are a soul or something similar to it.

Do you understand what I mean if I put it this way?”

I pause for a moment “…what?”

“So you do not understand, I’m sorry but those are the only analogs I know of from your world.”

“I mean, that was such a random thing to say I’m just blanking on how to respond.”

Looking around, although I have my ‘body’ it feels weightless, an indescribable feeling of non-gravity rather than simply feeling light, and everything around me looks and ‘feels’ ethereal.  A natural land of pure white, shining lights flowing around us beneath the floor and all around us.

I can both see and feel the surroundings, and it seems… strange, not wrong, but not like anything I had seen or felt my entire life, something different.

“I created this space within the River of Souls to talk to you.  I am Einar Stormbringer.  My current job is to recruit suitable candidates from the local leaves of this branch of the great tree to provide defense for a newly budding leaf downstream.  

A newborn dimension in your people’s words.

Since you were able to retain some of your memories in your soul after going through the waters, you have at least some inherent spiritual abilities despite having no cultivation whatsoever.

Weak mutant souls like yours are the perfect candidates for this position.

If you accept this position, you will be reincarnated immediately in the chosen reality.  There will be a number of other candidates sent to the same reality.  

Your job will be to try and prepare this reality for a large scale war through whatever means you can.  Help the local beings there grow in strength and become a more coherent unit as soon as you can.

If you do well, we will ensure your soul fully preserves your memories, and that you will be sent to a higher grade world of your choosing for your next incarnation, based on your level of contribution.

How does that sound?!”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Well, it was a good pitch.  Lot of interesting information there too.  Where are you from then?  An older dimension from a lower branch or something?”

“I am a representative of Valhalla doing work on behalf of some of the greater realms and the origin.”

“I see.”

“Excellent, so you accept my proposal?”

“Do I have any good alternatives?”

“You can allow the River to continue to process your soul, eventually you will naturally be cleansed of all memories regardless of your resistance to it, and eventually be reborn in a random realm unless you are so extremely unlucky to encounter something that destroys or consumes your soul on the way.”

“The deal where I keep at least what memories I have sounds good to me.”

“So, you agree to the terms of the deal?”

“Yeah!  Let’s go!”

“It sounds like you do not pay much attention to details in contracts.  But thinking is for the weak!  You will do great as a soldier!  Train well and train your people well, and best of luck on the frontlines.”

“That sounded like an insult and I didn’t even see a written contract, it was more of a verbal agreement, but thanks.”

“Fare thee well.”

The space collapsed around me and I saw darkness again.

…

In the midst of the River of souls, another being walked into the space.  “Are you close to meeting your quota?  We will need to report back to Valhalla soon regardless of if we meet it or not.”

“Astrid, do you know how difficult it is to find souls with enough sentience remaining after death to be able to agree to the terms?  And among those, how many are at least not evil, and smart enough with a cultural background to at least be unlikely to make deals with other realm beings?  

Not many!  Even if you search the souls coming from many different dimensions, we inevitably end up sending through some questionable ones too.”

“I still don’t get why the requirements are so strict.  They are basically just being sent to raise the amount of energy and civilization levels a bit early, to buffer the spread of infections.  

The first line of defense as a reaction to the incursion attempts, send some cannon fodder.  We are giving them no form of help whatsoever besides their memories and sending those with compatible mutations to that reality that more often than not just get them killed faster.  

They are fuel to jumpstart the early life planets with energy, the odds of one becoming someone significant is even worse than the average person in most realms.”

“Even if we loosened the requirements, we would still not get that many more candidates, and it is much easier for evil to rise in power, we would just be creating more enemies for ourself if we didn’t screen them properly.  

Already due to bad screening, those with bad intent sometimes get through. It is better to at least try and ensure those sent have at least mostly good intents.  Our work is important for maintaining and growing Yggdrasil, even if it may be a bit tedious.”

“You are too serious.  I get it.  I just hate being a recruiter, it is one of the worst jobs you can get.”

“It is a responsibility put upon us after we joined the greater community of Yggdrasil those few thousand years ago.  Our original understanding and reach to other realms was minuscule in the past compared to after we joined. We must fulfill our responsibilities if we want to enjoy the benefits.  

It is honorable to help the great tree grow, and to help the fight against evil in any way.  Even those less savory like sending them to their deaths.  We will have a place for them in our halls if they serve honorably.”